Noad Lahat vs. Niklas Backstrom
The first round began. Backstrom a lot more cautious. He used to work in a mental asylum apparently lol. Kneed the body, Lahat got a single to guard. 4:00. Lahat passes beautifully to half-guard. Backstrom regains guard. Right elbow from the bottom for Backstrom, Backstrom works rubber guard. Thinking gogoplata! Oh shit! That's tight. Switches to an omoplata, sweeps with it beautifully to guard. 3:00. Backstrom all over him, has the back, both hooks. Thinking body triangle, got it. Wrong side though. 2:00. Backstrom working for the choke. Lahat defending. Backstrom has it, lost it. Working for it again. He may have it. He has it on the chin. Lahat defending. Escapes. 1:00. 30. Backstrom turns to mount, goes for an armbar in the scramble, 15. Lahat defending. Lahat knees the leg. Backstrom rolls looking for it, R1 ends, 10-9 Backstrom, crowd applauds. R2 began. Lahat lands a leg kick. And a counter right and a left, a few right uppercuts, wow. Lahat lands a right uppercut. Backstrom is cut on the forehead. Lahat lands a good left to the body, clinch. Lahat thinking standing guillotine. Lets it go breaking away. 4:00. Lahat landsa right and a beautiful left, sprawls a double across the cage. Stands kneeing the head, breaks with a body kick. Lahat lands a body kick and a good right counter. Lahat lands a counter right, right uppercut, left to the body, they clinch, he knees the body. Backstrom stuffs a single,e ats an inverted right elbow and a right, right uppercut, 3:00. Lahat lands four big right uppercuts, two lefts to the body, right to the body, big right. Lahat lands a hard body kick and a right, lefts high and low, knees the body, big left and right, big right. A knee to the head. Right elbow, another, another inverted right elbow, wow. Backstrom's exhausted. Backstrom tries a single, Lahat rolls him, Backstrom stays on top. 2:00. Lahat sweeps to mount, wow! Thinking armbar. A few lefts. S-mount. Lahat thinking armbar on the other side, right armbar, left elbow, right elbow. A left. Thinking armbar. A right. Right elbow. Another. Goes for the armbar fully! He has it. Backstrom defending, looks relaxed. Lahat let it go, side control, crowd cheering. Thinking north-south choke. 1:00. Backstrom regains half-guard, eats a big right. Lahat mounts, a few lefts. Lefts. Left elbows. 35. Another. Scramble. Backstrom thinking heelhook. Lahat stays on top. Stands and kicks the leg. 15. Backstrom beckons him in. Crowd laughs. Lahat dives to guard. Right elbow. R2 ends, 10-8 Lahat, crowd cheers. R3 began and they touch gloves. Lahat lands a hard leg kick. He has a mouse under his right eye. Lahat lands a right. "Keep your head moving! Combos!" Lahat lands a hard right. Lahat tries an arm drag throw, Backstrom lands on top taking the back, 4:00. They stand and break as Backstrom blocks a high kick. Lahat's tired. Backstrom lands a right uppercut and a left. Lahat knees the body, eats one. Backstrom works a double. Gets it. Lahat lands a left elbow. 3:00. Another. Guard. Lahat sweeps beautifully to mount, stands out, they clinch. Lahat knees the body, left uppercut. Backstrom gets the standing back, drags him down, has a hook. 2:00. Odd position. Lahat thinking leglock. They scramble out, Lahat lands in butterfly guard. Backstrom looks exhausted. Backstrom kicks him off, stands working a double. Lahat defending, but is tired, too. Backstrom completes it. 1:00. Lahat lands two right elbows to the back. His corner screaming to scramble. Lahat's exhausted. Backstrom passes to half-guard. 35. Passes to side control briefly, gets the back, both hooks. Body triangle, 15 left. Working for the choke. Lost it. R3 ends, 10-9 Backstrom. They grin and shake hands hugging exhaustedly. 28-28, 29-28 twice majority decision for.. Noad Lahat, wow. Hmm. They hug, Backstrom shows respect. "It was a really tough fight, the toughest I've had, I didn't expect how tough he was on the ground, I started laughing in the middle of the fight." 'You know that choking sound? I did that so he would squeeze harder and I come out in the second round with my arms fresh.' He told Backstrom, "Hell of a fight brother. I hope to do it again one day."